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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28345599">Hold Me Tight</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Anaquilibria/pseuds/Anaquilibria'>Anaquilibria</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Borderlands (Video Games)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, BLgiftexchange2020, Don't copy to another site, Established Relationship, Fluff, M/M</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 20:13:52</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Explicit</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,055</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28345599</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Anaquilibria/pseuds/Anaquilibria</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Jack is getting used to his new body.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Handsome Jack/Rhys (Borderlands)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>83</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Hold Me Tight</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/StarfruitSpice/gifts">StarfruitSpice</a>.</li>



    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>AU: Rhys manages to talk Jack out of the skeleton idea, stays on Helios, and somewhere later they find a way to transfer Jack into a new body (probably thanks to Nakayama's work).</p><p>The title is from “Hold Me Tight or Don't” by Fall Out Boy.</p><p>Written for Borderlands Gift Exchange 2020.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>A gust of cold air slips under the blanket.</p><p>Rhys is immediately awake; a VP who sleeps like a log is a VP who dies young and with a horrible case of bed head, and that is absolutely no way to go.</p><p>Cold back presses against his chest, cold legs are trying to entwine with his. Rhys' arm is brazenly grabbed and tugged at.</p><p>Rhys lets out an exhale. Everything's alright, then.</p><p>“Rhysie. Cupcake. I know you're awake. C'mon, help me out a little.”</p><p>Jack squirms, trying to spoon himself into Rhys. Rhys huffs and hugs him: the sooner Jack settles, the sooner they both can go back to sleep.</p><p>Rhys absently strokes the soft belly; Jack's new body is strong and lithe, but the muscles aren't quite used to work yet, trigger finger isn't fast enough, his familiar sneer looks slightly off on the maskless, scarless face. It's not what you can call innocence—the idea of innocence can't be applied to Handsome Jack's personality inside a freshly cloned body, anyway—but Rhys still can't help this fragile marvel spreading inside him each time Jack wants to be held, or touched, or to experience another long forgotten physical feeling.</p><p>Jack wants to be touched. Jack wants to be touched by Rhys. It's a strange concept.</p><p>Then again, they only have each other now, and Jack is still sulky with Rhys for talking him out of the whole idea of stuffing Rhys with a whole damn cyberskeleton. Naturally, Jack's new meatsuit and its needs, as he charmingly put it, are Rhys' problems now.</p><p>Jack sighs, toying with Rhys' fingers.</p><p>“You sleeping?” he whispers.</p><p>“Not anymore, no.”</p><p>Jack turns around, coming face to face with Rhys.</p><p>“Tend to the king then, baby,” he says smugly, and though Rhys can't see in the dark without activating his ECHO eye, he's pretty sure Jack is smirking, glad with himself.</p><p>“This— is a horrible line.”</p><p>“Still better than your socks.”</p><p>“Say that again, and next time I'm not taking them off.”</p><p>Jack snorts and bites Rhys' lower lip; it's clearly meant as a petty revenge, but the kiss turns slow and sweet. Rhys still can't get used to this clash, Jack's bitchy personality and the tenderness of his new body contradicting each other. He's definitely the familiar and feared Handsome Jack in daylight, but when he's tired enough to finally give up work for the day, he's a whole other person. </p><p>He strokes Rhys' hair, maps the beginning of his spine with just the fingertips; a strike to the right vertebra could easily break a neck—a couple of researchers already knows this far better than Rhys—and there's a thrumming violence right under the yet uncalloused skin.</p><p>The hard-on pressed into Rhys' thigh says Jack has other plans though.</p><p>Jack gives a slow, languid thrust, and suddenly Rhys is aware of his own very interested cock. He whimpers into Jack's mouth, thrusting back.</p><p>“Patience, kitten,” admonishes Jack, and he's smiling; yes, it might be because Rhys is feeding his overgrown ego, but this smile is more earnest than his trademark grin.</p><p>It's like he's honestly happy being with Rhys, right here, right this way.</p><p>Rhys caresses the soft curls behind his ear, covers Jack's neck in kisses, cutting off a shocked exhale when Jack bares his throat to him, and Jack's pulse flutters, small and warm, under his lips.</p><p>Then suddenly Rhys is rolled over, and Jack is now on top of him, slowly grinding their cocks together. For every kiss given Jack gives back a sharp-toothed bite, a bruise sucked right above where the collar might still cover it, but his hands are gentle, simply roaming over Rhys' body, as if trying to leave no inch untouched.</p><p>“Look at me,” he murmurs, and when Rhys meets his gaze, Jack nips his nose. “Gotcha.”</p><p>Rhys wants to facepalm, but somehow finds himself smiling up at Jack like a whole new level of moron.</p><p>“Sure,” he says. “I'm so totally yours.”</p><p>That… was meant to be sarcastic.</p><p>Jack holds Rhys' red heated face in his palms and presses their foreheads together.</p><p>“I know,” he responds, little more than a breath against Rhys' lips.</p><p>Rhys holds him tight when Jack picks up the pace, smearing the precome between them, and he's sure he can come just like this, their cocks sliding together, a shaky string of oh-oh-ohs between their mouths, something new and terrifying on Jack's face above him—or maybe it's just the light of Elpis playing tricks, and it all will disappear with the first annoying chirp of morning alarm.</p><p>Rhys drives all the thoughts away with another thrust upwards. Jack watches him with an impossible level of concentration, his eyes unfairly clear for someone who's about to come.</p><p>“Let go,” he rasps, and Rhys obeys, gasping for air; hot stars burst along his spine, toes curl, he's shaking under Jack, and with a long moan Jack goes limp and heavy on him.</p><p>Jack's wet fringe tickles his neck. Jack's nose nuzzles his shoulder. Rhys is willing to bet he's okay with falling asleep like this.</p><p>“Jack. Jack. I need to clean us up.”</p><p>“Mm-hm.”</p><p>“We'll stick together.”</p><p>“That's… the idea.”</p><p>With a bit of not-so-silent cursing and his cyberhand Rhys manages to get out from under Jack. He pads to the bathroom and finds a flannel.</p><p>When he gets back, Jack is already asleep.</p><p>***</p><p>The overly cheerful sounds from his hand grow louder.</p><p>Bleary-eyed, Rhys brings up the display and slaps the button.</p><p>Fun fact: when you're a VP, mornings are still shit. Then Rhys remembers the Maliwan contract waiting for his input, and this particular morning gets even worse.</p><p>“In a hurry, cupcake?”</p><p>Jack's sleepy face looks at him, eyes half-lidded.</p><p>Rhys drops back on the pillow, smiling.</p><p>“Well. If the big boss says it can wait, it can wait.”</p><p>“Now you're getting it.”</p><p>Jack grabs him and pulls closer, wraps himself around Rhys like a too warm and fairly obnoxious octopus. Rhys looks at him, a bit astounded, and dares to pet his hair. Jack almost purrs.</p><p>To hell with Maliwan, then, Rhys decides.</p><p>He closes his eyes and melts into Jack, listening to his quiet breathing and the distant hum of Helios.</p><p>Come to think of it, maybe mornings won't be that bad anymore.</p>
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